Need input from fellow Aspies - What allowed you to believe in Christ?

[Sabertooth]

4. My uncle explained to me the rationale of salvation in a way that I have never heard before. It better accounted for those dilemmas, much like Einstein's physics superseded Newton's.

The link in my previous post is dead. Here is another active link, The Four Spiritual Laws - In your language!

 

[AspieforGod]

I'm an Aspie, and I'm looking for help from other Aspies. Please do not reply if you're an NT, as you can't relate.

I'm trying to figure out how someone who lacks emotional connections and relies on logic and reason is able to take a leap-of-faith. I can't just 'believe'. I'm not wired that way. I'm a literal person, and the Bible makes little sense to me. Less so when I look at contradictions. As Aspies, what allowed you to believe? What allowed you to give yourself to Christ? What advice can you give?

Note: I don't need any responses from people who just want to pat their own backs with "I'll pray for you." (let's assume everyone's praying for everyone); and please don't give pointless posts such as "Reading 1st John may help you."

FYI - Jumping up and down on one leg may help, but if you can't tell me in what way it will, I'm not going to try it. I've read multiple versions of the Bible, so let's assume that more reading is not the answer. Please know I'm blunt and to the point, but I'm not trying to be an ass. I'm frustrated, and just want real help. I look forward to your replies. D.M.
Danger Mouse

Hello DM.

Well in my experience I grew up in a home where faith was a daily deal not just a Sunday morning event. As a child I saw God in dreams and in the day. He talked to me in a quiet voice in my head. I knew He was real because He did things for me when I asked and helped me in my teens when my violent meltdowns got worse. When I pray for any reason I instantly feel much calmer even if the issue is not immediately resolved my attitude towards it is. It's that life long constant tangible proof that helped me and my background probably helped too.

Reading John is the worst advice someone could give you it's a book for mature Christians to keep them going not for new converts. Mark and Luke are the gospels for unbelievers if anyone recommends reading Scripture to an unbeliever or new convert it should be those.

My advice would be just talk out loud ask God if He's there and to show you a clear and obvious sign to prove it in a given time frame. He likes a challenge see what happens. Like, God I want you to be real please prove it to me by doing ..... or having someone say these specific words before midnight. He knows you and knows what it will take to convince you so go for it.

The Bible makes no sense to you because God hasn't explained it to you yet. So no amount of trying to see logic from the wrong side of faith will help you or anyone.

 

[Coleton Bryce Ritmanich]

I'm an Aspie, and I'm looking for help from other Aspies. Please do not reply if you're an NT, as you can't relate.

I'm trying to figure out how someone who lacks emotional connections and relies on logic and reason is able to take a leap-of-faith. I can't just 'believe'. I'm not wired that way. I'm a literal person, and the Bible makes little sense to me. Less so when I look at contradictions. As Aspies, what allowed you to believe? What allowed you to give yourself to Christ? What advice can you give?

Note: I don't need any responses from people who just want to pat their own backs with "I'll pray for you." (let's assume everyone's praying for everyone); and please don't give pointless posts such as "Reading 1st John may help you."

FYI - Jumping up and down on one leg may help, but if you can't tell me in what way it will, I'm not going to try it. I've read multiple versions of the Bible, so let's assume that more reading is not the answer. Please know I'm blunt and to the point, but I'm not trying to be an ass. I'm frustrated, and just want real help. I look forward to your replies. D.M.
Danger Mouse

Dangermouse, believing in God isn't Just reading His Word, and it's not something that only one type of person can understand, Logic and Reasoning is Good, I respect that. God Gave you that Gift. To be able to use Logic and Reasoning to Glorify his name. You have skills, a perfect set of skills that only God can make to most, best use of.

The question is How someone who lacks emotional connection, can find a way to believe in God.

If I give you the answer will you accept it? Will you actually take it to heart? Or are you just searching for the answer that you want to hear? Some people don't like the truth, even when it will change their lives for the better.

The truth is, there is no such thing as a person who is emotionally lacking. Only people who don't want to be able feel emotions, because they saw the world, and how much hurt it can cause. So they lock their hearts away, and if they lock it away for long enough, they start to forget it's even there.

You are able to do a lot of things others cannot, you are a genius. Though the one downside to being a genius is that you can control your brain more than others, that includes locking away emotions, whether you knew it or not, or simply forgot, you don't want emotions, do you?

Other than that, how about this?

How do you know if a fact is a fact? Because there's so much evidence that it can't be denied. It is Undeniable.

God is Undeniable. Even if you don't believe in something, that doesn't make it false. If you want evidence I can recommend three sources, "God's Not Dead" 1 and 2, and "Beginnings: Exploring Biblical Creation."

But to tell you the truth, what truly brought me to Christ was, Love, a love that surpasses everything. He was there when I needed him the most, every single time. He never gave up on me, he never left me. Even when I was lost, he was still waiting and helping me.

There's one thing you have to understand about God, He doesn't chase you. He calls you, and If you listen, you can hear it, in your heart.

As for my advice, in your case, I suggest learning to be patient, I don't mean to be rude. I'm serious.

"Jesus Christ, please come into my heart, and be my Lord and Savior, please forgive me of all my sins." Say it, and mean it with all of your heart and soul.

Then pray and ask for anything, be it righteous, you will receive it.

Seek God first, though, and then all your prayers will be answered. So many Christians pray for something, and if it's not an instant miracle, or it doesn't come quickly, they give up. They start to doubt, then all of their prayers go unanswered.

That's not Faith, Faith is not believing that He can, it's knowing that he will.

No one is immune to Doubt, but the moment you doubt, say or think this, "I bind and rebuke all doubt away from me, in Jesus' Name."

People focus to much on the problem, and don't focus enough on the solution, and that solution is Jesus Christ.

I've never heard it written or spoken "Aspie." That's unique, also don't know what a NT is, but I'm going to infer that it's anyone who is not an "Aspie."

 

[yajoh]

Dangermouse, believing in God isn't Just reading His Word, and it's not something that only one type of person can understand, Logic and Reasoning is Good, I respect that. God Gave you that Gift. To be able to use Logic and Reasoning to Glorify his name. You have skills, a perfect set of skills that only God can make to most, best use of.

The question is How someone who lacks emotional connection, can find a way to believe in God.

If I give you the answer will you accept it? Will you actually take it to heart? Or are you just searching for the answer that you want to hear? Some people don't like the truth, even when it will change their lives for the better.

The truth is, there is no such thing as a person who is emotionally lacking. Only people who don't want to be able feel emotions, because they saw the world, and how much hurt it can cause. So they lock their hearts away, and if they lock it away for long enough, they start to forget it's even there.

You are able to do a lot of things others cannot, you are a genius. Though the one downside to being a genius is that you can control your brain more than others, that includes locking away emotions, whether you knew it or not, or simply forgot, you don't want emotions, do you?

Other than that, how about this?

How do you know if a fact is a fact? Because there's so much evidence that it can't be denied. It is Undeniable.

God is Undeniable. Even if you don't believe in something, that doesn't make it false. If you want evidence I can recommend three sources, "God's Not Dead" 1 and 2, and "Beginnings: Exploring Biblical Creation."

But to tell you the truth, what truly brought me to Christ was, Love, a love that surpasses everything. He was there when I needed him the most, every single time. He never gave up on me, he never left me. Even when I was lost, he was still waiting and helping me.

There's one thing you have to understand about God, He doesn't chase you. He calls you, and If you listen, you can hear it, in your heart.

As for my advice, in your case, I suggest learning to be patient, I don't mean to be rude. I'm serious.

"Jesus Christ, please come into my heart, and be my Lord and Savior, please forgive me of all my sins." Say it, and mean it with all of your heart and soul.

Then pray and ask for anything, be it righteous, you will receive it.

Seek God first, though, and then all your prayers will be answered. So many Christians pray for something, and if it's not an instant miracle, or it doesn't come quickly, they give up. They start to doubt, then all of their prayers go unanswered.

That's not Faith, Faith is not believing that He can, it's knowing that he will.

No one is immune to Doubt, but the moment you doubt, say or think this, "I bind and rebuke all doubt away from me, in Jesus' Name."

People focus to much on the problem, and don't focus enough on the solution, and that solution is Jesus Christ.

I've never heard it written or spoken "Aspie." That's unique, also don't know what a NT is, but I'm going to infer that it's anyone who is not an "Aspie."

 

[yajoh]

Hi!

I want to witness about how God showed himself to me:

I had crashed and wound up in a psychiatric ward.

What happened there was that as often ad I checked the time on the wall clock, the hands were symmetrical!

If the time not was ten to two or a quarter to three, it was some other common symmetry.

Later I have understood that the main point was that I could not have hallucinated this - since of course the time of the day was definitely what the clock said.

I went to the hospital church, and they gave me a New Testament and books for confirmands.

And I started praying the Lord's Prayer each night. And when I at last got better, it was a miracle.
Then I got confirmed!

And I have downloaded the poster "Thou shalt not commit logical fallacies". There they warn you of doing like the Texas Sharpshoter:

Argue only from your few points, when you ignore all the rest of things that are involved.

Science is a great tool, but they still cannot explain what conciousness is, other than that we have life in the son or Father.

Good luck!

From a fellow Aspie!

/yajoh

 

[Sabertooth]

..., also don't know what a NT is, but I'm going to infer that it's anyone who is not an "Aspie."

NT stands for neuro-typical and, yes, it is anyone who has a more common neurology.

 

[Larniavc]

Can you Imagine if the scribes who wrote down the Scriptures said to each other, "guys...crap. I just found this thing and then this other thing. We have to change it before it gets on the scro

It's supposed to be inspired by God himself.

How could he allow such errors through?

 

[WilliamBo]

I'm an Aspie, and I'm looking for help from other Aspies. Please do not reply if you're an NT, as you can't relate.

I'm trying to figure out how someone who lacks emotional connections and relies on logic and reason is able to take a leap-of-faith. I can't just 'believe'. I'm not wired that way. I'm a literal person, and the Bible makes little sense to me. Less so when I look at contradictions. As Aspies, what allowed you to believe? What allowed you to give yourself to Christ? What advice can you give?

I was diagnosed with aspergers 2 years ago, and depression and ADHD all through my adolescence. I found Christ in college. While in college I, a campus minister took me under his wing and taught me the Bible and I don't know how, but SOMEHOW God opened up my heart within those 3 months and showed me that THE BIBLE IS ACTUALLY TRUE. Look, I was the athiest of all athiest, and a drug addict. I was twisted and sick, I don't know how it happened but all I know is the Bible is true. God is real, Jesus is real, His spirit is real and speaks to people and guides people.

 

[BookofMatt]

For me it was just an innate sense of knowledge. I wasn't raised in religion; my family wasn't atheist, they were merely irreligious. As such, I never really thought about God until high school, when I became aware that several of my friends in (special needs) school identified as Christians. I somewhat reflected on it and decided/realized that I did believe in God: it just made sense to me. However, I didn't really pursue it, I just accepted the fact that God existed and created the universe. Years later, I ended up at my worst moments thanks to psychotic disorders; every time I went to the mental hospital, I'd see/meet devoted Christians who were seemingly helped by their faith and that renewed my curiosity. I was already a believer, so when I finally decided to open my heart to God, it just all came pouring in...I was left in tears. I got in contact with a Christian girl I befriended in the hospital and she helped guide me through the whole "process".

So yeah, it's just always been "in" me. I just had to let it out. I never really understood why some people say autistic people can't be religious or spiritual, because I've met plenty.

 

[NBB]

I have aspergers, or hfa like it is now, and we require logic and proof sometimes, and a lot of us don't lie, and i tell you God is real and can manifest to us, so seek him until he does something to you (the most direct route is praying to Jesus that you accept him as saviour and asking him so he can reveal himself/God to you), i have proof because i had spiritual experiences with God, this can be a clear spiritual touch from someone you don't know but it will feel familiar to you (Holy spirit), the presence of God or something else. My faith was very small but when the Holy spirit touched me, i had proof and i was feeling and perceiving God, and this is great and very nice experience.

edit: oops this post is very old.

 

[jonrgrover]

A combination of factors allowed me to believe in Christ:

1) One of my special interests was history. I created a model of how history works that works very well and is probably good enough to publish. I did this before I was a Christian. When I was running the numbers and following out the concepts, I noticed that the model indicated that Jesus is the most important person to have ever lived. It does not prove he is God but provides strong evidence for it.
2) I read research indicating that the supernatural exists and its existence has been scientifically proven.
3) My special interest in history showed that Europe was far more successful during the last 500 years than other regions. One thing that made Europe special was its religion - Christianity. So Christianity provided a framework for great productivity and advancement that other religions did not.
4) The Hebrew Bible indicated that my dabbling in the new age defiled me. As a programmer I did not like the idea of not being in the file - i.e. defiled.
5) I was lonely and realized that I did not have the wherewithal to establish a marriage or relationship.
6) New Age actually takes a lot of work, work that the Holy Spirit does for you and you need to just pray.
7) The Christians I interacted with finally got around to telling me what the gospel was and how it works.
8) The Holy Spirit drew me. Without him, I would not have connected with the first seven items above.

My history theory states that history is made up of ages which exist in objective reality, each of which is either twice as long or half as long as the one previous. Half as long if history has advanced. Twice as long if history has declined.

I matched up the ages with events in written and geologic history. The match-up indicated that history ages advanced until about 197 BC, then ages declined until 1152 AD, then resumed advancing. When I looked to see when infinite advancement would have happened if there had never been a decline, the theory pointed to the early 30's AD (between 30 and 34 AD).

The theory also indicated that when an individual or group is more advanced than their surroundings that they tend to be thought of as gods. My history theory indicated this for Augustus Caesar and the early conquistadors in Mesoamerica. Jesus was also seen as a god.

These two assertions by the model indicated that Jesus was the most special person to have ever lived, and this along with my leap of faith allowed me to see Jesus as God and accept the gospel.